Fort Collins, Colo. – On February 26, 2011Odell Brewing will unleash its Myrcenary Double IPA. The hoppy delight is a new year-round four pack offering.

Named for Myrcene, a component of the essential oils found in a hop flower, Myrcenary Double IPA is brewed with a blend of hops containing the highest levels of Myrcene. Nearly six pounds of seven different American hop varieties were used in each barrel. At 9.3% ABV, this double IPA prevails with a tropical citrus flavor, a pungent floral aroma, and a clean getaway.

Odell Brewing has partnered with Old Chicago’s to feature Myrcenary, which will be on draft exclusively at most Old Chicago locations within the brewery’s nine state distributor region beginning February 23rd.

“Our partnership with Old Chicago’s started with our opening night in 1989,” said Doug Odell, brewery founder. “They were our first account, and we’re very excited that they will be featuring our newest creation.”

Odell Brewing will celebrate the launch of Myrcenary Double IPA on February 26th from 4-6 pm in the brewery’s Tap Room. Guests can enjoy samples of the beer as well as live music from The Band of Pirates.

It’s a well-known fact that The Mutineers love absinthe, as we’ve featured it in our magazine on multiple occasions and we even went as far as to have Issue #6 of Mutineer Magazine focus almost solely on the mysterious spirit with the help of our friends at The Wormwood Society. With that said, Mutineer is pleased to announce that the founder of The Wormwood Society, Gwydion Stone, is opening his own distillery in Seattle under the name Gnostalgic Spirits Distillery in the SoDo district, just south of downtown Seattle. Previously, Stone produced his Marteau Absinthe de la Belle Époque, considered to be one of the most well-respected and authentic absinthe brands on the market, in Portland, Oregon. Aside from absinthe, Stone also has plans to add apple brandy, whisky, gin and rum to his portfolio, as well as other limited edition spirits, bitters and cocktail syrups available only for purchase at the distillery itself.

Marteau Absinthe is made from absinthium wormwood grown in Oregon and Montana and a brandy base distilled from Washington wine. Marteau Absinthe and other products are scheduled to be available at the distillery and in liquor stores by summer, 2011.

Stay tuned.

Marteau (and other absinthes) on the cover of Mutineer Magazine Issue #6

However, my favorite part of the video is at 1:05, where baby future-Mutineer checks out the nose on his awesome glass of hopefully Welch’s Grape Juice, gives it a nice swirl and clearly he’s not pleased as he dumps it out on the table in disgust.

Obviously I must point out that Mutineer Magazine does not condone or endorse underage drinking or the serving of alcohol to babies .. but this video is hilarious.

Zane Lamprey, as seen on the cover of Mutineer Magazine Issue #5 and as the host of Mutineer Magazine’s National Launch Party in Hollywood in May 2009, just broke a world record. On February 5th, Zane set a new world record by opening 31 bottles of champagne bottles in less than one minute, smashing the previous record of 27 bottles. The stunt, taped live and in 3D by DIRECTV film crews, took place on the Saturday of Super Bowl weekend in Dallas, Texas.

Opening bottles of champagne with a saber, formally known as sabrage, is a technique used for ceremonial purposes and dates back to just after the French revolution when Napoleon’s men would open their bottles of bubbly with their sabers, their weapon of choice. They would do this to celebrate, be awesome, and to impress young, beautiful women.

Conditions have to be just right to correctly saber a bottle of champagne or else you’ll be asking for a mess. The Mutineers know this well after deciding to saber bottles in our hotel room and got slapped with a hefty cleaning fee. On his feat, Zane said “Sabering 31 bottles in a minute, took a lot of practice, and a lot of champagne. Champagne isn’t cheap, especially for 31 bottles…do you think it’s OK if I send Mark Cuban the bill?”

Stay tuned, as Zane attempts to break his current record on his HDnet television show Drinking Made Easy, which airs every Wednesday at 8:30PM E.T.

Last fall, Rémy Martin launched a new product in two exclusive markets – San Francisco and Atlanta. After a successful welcoming into those areas, the rest of the country will see the launch of Rémy Martin V on April 1st. Rémy Martin V? Rémy Martin V is a spirit unlike anything else in the Rémy Martin portfolio and it is aimed at the 21-29 year old demographic. Aside from targeting the younger generation of drinkers, Rémy Martin V will challenge vodka as the premium clear spirit used for cocktails at bars and nightclubs around the country.

How is it different? Rémy Martin V is unique because unlike their Cognac, V is clear. Rather than aging V in oak barrels which gives Cognac its color and rich flavor, V is filtered using a bespoke process that chills the spirit to -10 degrees Celsius, ensuring a beautiful, transparent color and unparalleled smooth, fresh, clean taste according to Rémy Martin. Rémy Martin says it’s great over ice, but it was meant to be mixed with drinks such as The Belmondo with Cointreau, Vermouth, and Orange Bitters served up in a martini glass.

Rémy Martin V will be available nationwide staring April 1st and will retail for $40 per 750ml bottle.

It’s encouraging to see spirits brands being welcomed as sponsors of mainstream sports. Since early 2009, Tequila Cazadores has been the Official Spirit Sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC. Part of that sponsorship includes the “Tequila Cazadores Spirit Award”, which is given out on a monthly basis “to the UFC fighter who best exemplifies social responsibility, commitment to the MMA art form, or good sportsmanship” according to the spirits company.

UFC fans decide the winner by voting online, with the most recent recipient of the award being UFC bantamweight Miguel Angel Torres. Tequila Cazadores VP & Brand Managing Director Fannie Young says, “Miguel’s work-ethic in and out of the Octagon are an inspiration to us at Tequila Cazadores. Miguel’s dedication to his craft and strong, competitive spirit make him the perfect recipient of this award. We are proud to honor such a talented fighter who embodies the core values of our brand.” Tequila Cazadores donates $1,000 to a charity of each winner’s choosing, with Mr. Torres supporting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

There have been a lot of changes made by the Brewers Association this year. At the beginning of the year, the BA announced changes they made to their designation of “small” in its definition of a “craft brewer” and just recently, the BA announced changes made to the Great American Beer Festival in that they’ve expanded their competition to include U.S. Territories. What was once strictly limited to the 50 states of the U.S., breweries located in the unincorporated, organized U.S. Territories of Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands will now be eligible to enter the GABF.

I think this is great and hopefully it will encourage brewers in those areas to step up and make a name for themselves. I’ll be watching closely and I can’t wait until one of them brings home a medal!

Washington has a state bird, a state gem, a state dance, even a state fossil, so what about a state beverage? Nope, no official state beverage. One woman, State Representative Barbara Bailey, is looking to change that. At the request of high school students in her district, Bailey sponsored House Bill 1715 which aims to make coffee the official state beverage of Washington.

The idea may seem strange, but if the bill passes, Washington will join 29 other states who rep an official state beverage, ranging from Kool-Aid to tomato juice. I must say I like where Alabama and California’s heads are at, with their state beverages being Conecuh Ridge Whiskey and wine, respectively.

But I find myself asking the question if coffee is the best representation of Washington? Seattle has been on the map for coffee ever since Starbucks opened their first location in 1971, but none of the coffee is grown in Washington. With 60% of the United State’s apple production coming from Washington, why not apple juice? With approximately 75% of the United State’s hop production coming from Washington, why not beer?

An excerpt from House Bill 1715:

The legislature finds that Washington is well known as the espresso capital of the country. The coffee industry is a vital part of the Washington state economy that provides jobs and morning motivation for many state citizens.